Mandisa Peter, with over 25 years of experience in the classroom, is a fountain of mind-blowing wisdom.
Her teaching style makes learning fun, engaging, and accessible to all her learners. In an exclusive interview, Peter voiced her unwavering commitment to nurturing young learners, shared her insights into teaching strategies, and discussed the challenges she has overcome to earn her prestigious title.
“It is so nice seeing a child getting there, not knowing how to hold a pencil or write,” she said.
Peter holds a Diploma in Education from Rhodes University, supplemented by an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) and short Early Childhood Development (ECD) courses. She has also benefited from workshops by Jolly Phonics and learns from student teachers, incorporating innovative methods and technology into her teaching practice.
“You have to be humble. You have to understand them,” she said. She highlighted the significance of establishing trust and confidence in her learners: “You have to make them feel confident so they can try again.”
One of her most effective methods involves sitting beside struggling learners and giving them personalised support. This ensures attention isn’t drawn in the classroom to learners who need more help.
Peter emphasised that she does not even have a work desk. Instead, she focuses on immersing herself with the learners and being part of them for discretion and humility.
Navigating a diverse classroom can be challenging and complex. She uses phonics and pictures to simplify concepts and build short sentences to address this. Her most helpful tool for writing is the Grade 1 workbook, which makes this easier for learners who are falling behind. She also uses the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT) lesson plans and DBE workbooks for activities. She progresses to more advanced materials as their confidence grows.
“When you see’ they are firm in isiXhosa, you move to English,” she said, highlighting the significance of bilingual books. Using a language the learners are familiar with builds a strong foundation for swiftly transitioning from isiXhosa to English.
Peter uses creative and effective tools in her classroom. She uses Nal’ibali to access bilingual stories and lesson plans. She also stressed the effectiveness of using lesson plans posted by other teachers on Google. These resources establish engaging and accessible lessons tailored to her learners’ needs. They get literacy-enhancing resources from NGOs, like the Lebone Centre, GADRA Education’s School, and the Wordworks program.
Wordworks fosters homeschool partnerships to assist grandparents who may struggle to read and write. By doing this, they create a bond between their kids and emphasise the importance of family involvement in teaching and learning.
Despite the challenge of some learners reading without meaning, she incorporates individualised techniques to guide them. Peter says, “you are a parent, a teacher, and a social worker.”
